Thursday, July 12, 2007

Americanness according to the World Values Survey: Readers and I listed in an earlier post those values that we thought of as elements of "Americanness," but what do the data tell us? I looked at responses of representative samples of people from countries all around the globe to more than 300 hundred questions from the World Values Survey. Sample sizes range from around a dozen to about 50 countries, and I included the question in the list below if America ranked in either the top 3 or the bottom 3:

Top 3

Belongs to a religious organizationBelongs to an educational, cultural, art, or music organizationBelongs to an organization that does youth workBelongs to a women's groupDoes voluntary work for a religious organizationDoes voluntary work for educational, cultural, art, or music organizationDoes unpaid work for an environmental groupDoes voluntary work for a group that does youth workDoes voluntary work for a women's groupDoes voluntary work for organization concerned with healthDoes voluntary work out of compassion for those in needDoes voluntary work to give something back

Felt proud in the past few weeks because of a compliment about behaviorFeel like you have control over how your life turns outPeople are poor out of laziness and lack of will powerProud of workI work because I have to; I wouldn't if I didn't have toThe owners should run the business or appoint managersIf boss and I disagree, I should follow the boss

Believes in the soulBelieves in the devilBelieves in hellBelieves there is a personal GodPartner shares religious, moral, social, and sexual attitudesFaithfulness is important for a successful marriageIt is important that children learn religious faith at home

Personal freedom is more important than equalityHas confidence in the political systemProud of my country because of scientific achievementsProud of countryTrusts neighboring countries

Bottom 3

Does voluntary work because of extra time and wanted to do something worthwhileDoes volunteer work to meet people

Doesn't want Jews for neighbors

When jobs are scarce, people should be forced to retireWhen jobs are scare, preference should be given to own nationality over immigrants

A child need both a mother and a fatherA woman needs a child to be fulfilled

Government ownership of business and industry should be increasedThe state should take more responsibility to ensure that everyone is provided forSuccess is a matter of luck and connectionsIf an unjust law were passed, I could do nothing about it

Okay, let's attempt a description of what makes the U.S. distinctive in terms values. Americans value volunteer work, and they do it out of compassion and because they want to return the favor done for them.

Americans feels thay have control over their lives, and they can change things. If someone is poor, it's his own fault.

Americans are very proud of their work, but strangely wouldn't do it if they didn't need to make a living. They believe in top-down business organization.

They identify with a religion, they are theists, and they believe religion is important for children.

The country is feminist.

Americans are very proud of their country; they believe in personal freedom over equality; they have faith in the political system; and they trust neighboring countries. They are tolerant and pro-immigration. They are anti-socialist.

Let's reduce that to a list like the one before:

Americanness based on the World Values Surveybelief in volunteerismbelief in free willhierarchical at workreligiousfeministhomogamouspatrioticfreedom-lovingtrustingtolerantanti-socialist

Keep in mind that, according to these data, the United States is somewhere in the middle on more than 80% of the questions asked. These questions cover just about anything you can think of on politics/government, religion, family, work--all the stuff sociologists are interested in.

The next step is to see if immigrants to the U.S. are likely to change these values. Any guesses which country I'll look at next?

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"The creation myth was the essential bond that held the tribe together. It provided its believers with a unique identity, commanded their fidelity, strengthened order, vouchsafed law, encouraged valor and sacrifice, and offered meaning to the cycles of life and death. No tribe could survive long without the meaning of its existence defined by a creation story. The option was to weaken, dissolve, and die." ~ E.O. Wilson